Attempts have been made to pass a continuous web of textile fabric axially through a drum while subjecting the web to hot air, steam or other treatment; however, it does not appear that such procedure has heretofore met with success. Apparently this is due to the tendency of the web to tangle.
The present invention is directed to a continuous processing apparatus and method for textile fabrics which may utilize an adaption of a tumbler dryer having a housing and drum such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,903, in which the drum is modified and caused to oscillate instead of rotate, and includes other features which permits a wide range of treatments, either individually or in succession, such as relaxing, bulking, drying or shrinking a continuously web of textile fabric as it is moved through the drum, and is summarized in the following objects:
First, to provide an apparatus and method of processing a continuously moving web of textile fabric, wherein the tumbler drum is provided with novelly arranged longitudinally extending grid structures having angularly disposed panels, the grid structures defining a zone extending between the entrance and exit ends of the drum which has an average depth less than the width of the web, and a width greater than the width of the web, the grid structures causing the web to twist a limited amount in either direction from an essentially horizontal transverse axis without causing the web to tangle. Second, to provide an apparatus and method, as indicated in the preceeding object, in which sychronized drive means is provided near the entrance and exit ends of the drum to maintain within the drum a predetermined length of web in excess of the length of the drum permitting the web to fold transversely.
Third, to provide an apparatus and method, as indicated in the other objects, in which means is provided for applying a transversely distributed fluid force to opposite sides of the web as it enters into and exits from the drum, such force being supplied, for example, by hot air, thereby facilitating at the exit end of the drum, full recovery from such twisting of the web as produced by oscillation of the drum and grid structures.
Fourth, to provide an apparatus and method of continuous treatment of a textile fabric web wherein a pair or more of drums may be arranged in tandem relation to increase the number of treatments or duration thereof.